1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water well systems as well as pitless well pipe adapters, and more particularly to an improved lift-out tool for attachment to a pitless well adapter fitting for raising and lowering said adapter and the submersible water pump connected thereto into and from the well casing, and more particularly still to a lift-out tool for attachment to a pitless well adapter having an integral illumination means for facilitation of the attachment procedure.
2. Background of the Invention
A so-called pitless adapter is a specialized pipe fitting that is secured to a well casing below ground, beneath the frost line. The bottom end of the pitless adapter is connected by piping to a water pump suspended within the well, such that well water pumped upwardly from the well pump through the adapter may be diverted horizontally through a hole in the casing and piped to a house or home or other use, thereby minimizing the risk of frost-frozen pipes. The pitless adapter has an elbow that is connected through the well casing to the water discharge line. A water-tight seal is created between the pitless adapter and the well casing such that the risk of contamination of the water well by external sources leaking through the connection is also minimized.
The pitless adapter is generally a two-piece unit comprising a portion that permanently attaches to the well casing and an adapter body that can be removed from the permanently attached portion during access and removal of the water pump. The permanently attached mechanism has a receiver that allows the adapter body to slide and seal with the attached mechanism for reinstallation of the pump. The pitless adapter body is threaded on its upper side to threadably accept a lift-out device comprised essentially of a threaded fitting on a pipe or rod such that the pipe can be used to lift and lower the pitless adapter body and attached pump to and from the water well, either in performing routine maintenance or replacing such pump with a new pump. Pitless adapters therefore provide a useful means for accessing and servicing parts of a well system, particularly the well pump.
A significant problem arises in manually connecting a lift-out device to the pitless adapter body inside the well casing. Because the pitless adapter is several feet down and substantially inside the well casing, which is itself essentially a deep, dark, narrow hole, it is very difficult to see the threaded connector on the pitless adapter body and to thread the lift-out tool to such adapter body. Common practice is to try to shine a flashlight into the hole while threading the lift pipe into the adapter body, or to use a mirror to try to reflect sunlight down the well casing. This technique fails because the usual flashlight beam can only travel a few feet into the hole before dispersing into darkness, and the mirror also usually does not provide sufficient light and is useful only on sunny days. A flashlight, mirror and similar devices, usually therefore will not illuminate the threads of the adapter sufficiently to be a reliable aid. In addition, it is difficult and cumbersome for a single person to hold a flashlight pointed into the well casing in one hand while steadying the lift pipe and threading it to the adapter body with only the other hand. Thus, threading the pipe into the adapter becomes a hit or miss affair, which is both inconvenient and time consuming, and usually requires two workers, one to hold the flashlight and one to thread the lift-out tool to the adapter.
Thus, a need exists for an improved illuminating device for enabling a worker to more easily attach a lift-out device to a pitless well adapter to remove a water pump from a water well for servicing or the like.
Although all are dissimilar to the present invention, a number of tools in the prior art are known that include a means for illuminating a work area. These include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 893,319 issued to A. G. Gillespie et al. on Jul. 14, 1908, entitled “Cable Raising or Separating Device,” discloses an elongated tool for separating cables such as telephone switchboard cables. A small lamp in the lower end of the device aids workers in seeing between separated cables.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,278,111 issued to G. A. Kleinpell on Mar. 31, 1942, entitled “Tool for Air Pressure Release Bars of Elevator Doors,” discloses a tool having an elongated shaft for enabling an elevator operator to release manually the air pressure in an elevator door mechanism. A light source is mounted at the end of the tool to aid an operator in using the tool and illuminating a work area.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,908 issued to L. H. Gaulke et al. on Apr. 29, 1952, entitled “Grapple Hook Means,” discloses a tool of a well-known type for gripping objects via a plurality of grappling arm elements. A bracket clamp is provided for holding a flashlight such that the flashlight shines on the grappling arm and the work area surrounding the grappling arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,769 issued to A. Cook on Apr. 19, 1955, entitled “Hand Tool,” discloses a screwdriver having a light that illuminates the work area. The light is conveyed through the handle of the screwdriver through transparent plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,715 issued to L. R. Christensen et al. on Sep. 7, 1982, entitled “Lighted Tool Holder,” discloses a holder having a flashlight-like appearance with a cylindrical adapter mounted to the working end of the holder to which a screwdriver or other tool or device may be temporarily mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,741 issued to E. J. Muti on May 6, 1986, entitled “Flashlight Holder,” discloses an extension rod for lowering and holding a flashlight down a hole. Although Muti articulates the need to illuminate a distant point in a hole, the technique disclosed in the Muti requires the lowering of two separate shafts into the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,899 issued to J. D. Morse on Sep. 12, 1989, entitled “Illuminating Light Bulb Remover,” discloses an elongated handheld tool for removing and/or replacing light bulbs to and from overhead light fixtures and having the additional feature of an illumination source mounted near the end of the handle. The bulb is held by a conical member on the end of the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,598 issued to G. D. Schaffer on Oct. 6, 1992, entitled “Hole Locator Device,” discloses a device to aid in installing ceiling fixtures. The Schaffer invention is comprised of a tapered translucent plastic shank having a base portion with a socket into which a flashlight may be fitted, and a tip with a sharp point and a means for holding an electrical wire. The shank is pushed upwardly into the fixture hole and through the ceiling insulation so that the location of the hole will be immediately evident in the upper adjacent floor or attic. The electrical wire is then secured to the tip of the shank so that when the worker pulls the shank out of the ceiling the wire is also pulled downwardly through the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,625 issued to M. Peng on Mar. 26, 1996, entitled “Multipurpose Hand Tool,” discloses a combination spanner, screwdriver and illuminator. Although the illuminator is secured within a tube handle in the device, the device is not arranged so that light shines through the tube to illuminate a work area, but rather the combination tools are designed to be used separately.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,250 issued to J. A. Ortega on May 7, 1996, entitled “Magnetic Vale Spring Shim Remover,” discloses a tool for working on engine valves, and more particularly for removing valve spring shims, which are hard to reach and/or remove. Ortega uses prongs containing magnetic tines so that when the tines physically contact the valve spring shims, the shims are attracted to the magnetic tines and can be easily removed. Ortega discloses an alternative embodiment wherein the handle of the Ortega shim remover is hollow and a light is positioned between members to aid in correct placement and removal of the valve shims.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,063 issued to T. D. F. Ford et al. on Nov. 9, 1999, entitled “Illuminated Elongated Tubular Body,” discloses a system for emitting light along an elongated tube, or more simply a light stick or wand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,295 issued to G. Hillinger on Oct. 3, 2000, entitled “Fiber Optic Lighting Wrench System for Ratcheting Wrench,” discloses a ratchet wrench having a fiber optic bundle therein so that light is transmitted from a light source through the handle via the fiber optic bundles and exits around the work area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,172 issued to J. C. Smith on Sep. 25, 2001, entitled “Telescopic Pocket Door Angle Drill,” discloses a telescoping angle drill apparently primarily designed to be used to remove and install pocket door track hardware. The Smith hand tool also includes a light mounted next to the right angle driver on the exterior shell of the tool. Although the Smith patent illustrates generally a light mounted to the exterior surface of a hand tool, such light source is not incorporated into the handle or other portion of the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,875 issued to K. Hrabar et al. on Nov. 20, 2001, entitled “Illuminated Nut Driver,” discloses a nut driver having a light source located in the handle portion. The light source shines through a longitudinal bore in the tool shaft through an opening in the nut driver on the tip of the shaft. The light illuminates an area adjacent to where a nut is to be placed or removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,944 issued to L. Wang on Apr. 9, 2002, entitled “Socket Wrench and Light Source Arrangement,” discloses a socket wrench having a light mounted in the socket assembly and a battery mounted in the handle so that light is emitted through the open end of the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,020 issued to S. E. Lewis et al. on Apr. 30, 2002, entitled “Plumbing Tool,” discloses a stopcock tool having a handle portion, a telescoping shaft, and an interchangeable head portion, which may have different arrangements depending upon the intended use of the tool. A clamp is provided on the outside of the shaft for securing a flashlight facing downwardly whereby a work area can be illuminated. The shortcoming of this device is in the inability of a flashlight light beam to illuminate a deep hole as the beam of emitted light will travel only a short distance from the lens of the flashlight.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,453 issued to D. Ambrosio on Sep. 24, 2002, entitled “Hand Tool for Driving, and Selectively Illuminating Through, a Conventional Socket,” discloses a conventional socket driver having an illuminated fiber optic strand for directing light through the driver's longitudinal central bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,442 issued to S. Chen on Nov. 12, 2002, entitled “Screwdriver Having a Light Emitting Device,” discloses a screwdriver having a light assembly in the handle or gripping portion of the screwdriver and further having a light guiding sleeve surrounding the shank of the screwdriver. Light emitted from the upper end of the handle is transferred along the channel between the sleeve and shank to the tip of the screwdriver.
Although lacking an illumination means, references pertaining generally to pitless well adapters exist in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,181 issued to H. W. Maass on Sep. 16, 1969, entitled “Pitless Well Adapter,” discloses an improved adapter arrangement, which is easier to remove and has a simplified construction. Mass illustrates a T-coupling having an internally threaded socket which is threaded to facilitate installation and removal of the pitless adaptor and water pump using a threaded vertical pipe or drop pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,611 issued to M. B. Martinson on Sep. 21, 1954, entitled “Means for Extracting the Liquid from a Cased Well Below the Top End of the Casing,” discusses the past practice of digging pits adjacent to a well opening, which practice is now discouraged. In Martinson, a “handle” is threaded to the upper opening in the T-coupling or socket member, which is used to lift and lower the well pipe and coupling when it is to be serviced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,056 issued to G. L. Doering on Aug. 17, 1987, entitled “Pitless Adaptor,” teaches a modified adaptor wherein the top threaded opening of the pitless adapter is connected to a pipe leading to a yard hydrant, and having a plug which when removed allows water to flow not through the service line but to the hydrant.
Although each may be useful for its particular purposes, none of the aforementioned references teach or disclose an improved pitless adapter lift-out tool that can be more easily attached to a pitless well adapter for use in removing a water pump from a water well, wherein the improvement comprises an integrated illumination means for lighting the interior of a water well casing. Further, the light source in the present invention is connected to the lift-out tool so that it is properly insulated and grounded and will not short circuit upon contact with water and in addition can withstand over time repeated rough use and extended periods of nonuse.